[mythtv-users] Remote Control Options...

Michael Tiller michael.tiller at gmail.com
Tue Aug 19 17:33:28 UTC 2008


The thing that strikes me in looking at all this is that so many of the non
PVR-150 approaches seem to require patching LIRC (and when I first built my
Myth system so did the PVR-150).  It makes you wonder...what DOES work with
LIRC out of the box?  :-)

The IguanaWorks thing looked good until I saw that you have to patch LIRC.
Because I have so little time, I'm really trying to stick with things that
just work out of the box.

As for the PVR-150, I'd like to keep using it (at least in the short term),
but I really don't see what else I can do.  LIRC recognizes it but "mode2"
doesn't output anything so I don't see what the next diagnostic step could
really be.

I keep hoping there is some really nice easy to install piece of hardware
out there that I wasn't previously aware of... :-)

--
Mike

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 12:52 PM, Bobby Gill <bobbygill at rogers.com> wrote:

> You may need to be loading the lirc_mceusb2 module (modprobe lirc_mceusb2
> and init.d/lircd restart or however it is on Ubuntu for the daemon).
>
> I had a lot of problems with the PVR-150 remote but I have it working
> perfectly now with oodles of apps. Go for alternatives if you are really set
> on 'em but I think giving up is a mistake when many, many others have the
> same device working.
>
> Bob
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 11:38 AM, James Crow <james at ultratans.com> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 2008-08-19 at 11:15 -0400, Michael Tiller wrote:
>> > Frankly, I'm about ready to give up on the PVR-150 approach simply
>> > because mode2 gives me *nothing* so I think there is something
>> > fundamentally wrong. :-(
>> >
>> > So my main interest is in alternatives at this point.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Mike
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On 8/19/08, Paul Clark <battledean at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > Hi
>> > >
>> > > I'm using a couple of Hauppauge Nova-T on my Ubuntu box and the IR was
>> > > the most time consuming and fiddly thing to get working, but I have it
>> > > working perfectly now.  I started out following Garry Parker's guide
>> > > http://parker1.co.uk/mythtv_ubuntu2.php and supplemented it with my
>> > > own research.  Might be worth giving this a shot?
>> > >
>> > > Good luck, Paul
>> > >
>> > > 2008/8/19 Michael Tiller <michael.tiller at gmail.com>:
>> > >> I did a clean install of Ubuntu and MythTV last weekend.  Wow, things
>> have
>> > >> come a long way since I first started.  I had everything I needed out
>> of
>> > >> the
>> > >> box!  Great work.
>> > >>
>> > >> Anyway, everything is working great (generally better than before)
>> except
>> > >> that for some reason my PVR-150 IR receiver isn't working.  I've run
>> all
>> > >> the
>> > >> diagnostics I can all the way down to running "mode2" and I don't get
>> > >> anything.  Lirc is running and it sees my Hauppauge IR receiver just
>> fine.
>> > >> Anyway, that isn't the point of the email...just some background to
>> > >> explain
>> > >> my motivation.
>> > >>
>> > >> Frankly, this remote thing has been a thorn in my side for a long
>> time so
>> > >> I'd like to "revisit" this.  I was using the PVR-150 but LIRC is a
>> bit of
>> > >> a
>> > >> hassle and the RC-5 only limitation of the PVR-150 is a really
>> annoying
>> > >> aspect as well.  So, I'm wondering what my options are here.  I don't
>> want
>> > >> to spend much money, but I'm just wondering what other people use.
>> > >>
>> > >> I have an HDHomerun and my fallback would be to move that into the
>> living
>> > >> room and use the IR pickup on that.  It seems quite solid and it
>> doesn't
>> > >> seem to have the RC-5 limitation either.  For various "connectivity"
>> > >> reasons, moving the HDHomerun may be impractical so I'm keeping that
>> my
>> > >> fallback.
>> > >>
>> > >> One thing I noticed in playing with HDHomerun (what a cool piece of
>> > >> hardware
>> > >> that is!) was the "UDP" aspect of LIRC.  That is pretty neat.  What
>> other
>> > >> devices use UDP?  I assume the UDP data that is being sent is fairly
>> low
>> > >> level IR information so I would think that talking with LIRC that way
>> > >> would
>> > >> be pretty hard unless you were feeding it data directly from an IP
>> pickup.
>> > >>
>> > >> I don't want to build my own IR receiver (I want to go in completely
>> the
>> > >> opposite direction...I don't have that kind of time).  An ideal
>> solution
>> > >> would be a simple, cheap USB based device but when I've looked at
>> those in
>> > >> the past it always seemed like there was some issue with LIRC and
>> some USB
>> > >> devices (IrDa?).
>> > >>
>> > >> I saw this thing from IguanaWorks.  Anybody have any experience with
>> this?
>> > >>
>> > >> Another thing I considered were "high-end" mice or mini-keyboards
>> using
>> > >> RF.
>> > >> For example, at work we have a little USB device for operating
>> PowerPoint
>> > >> remotely.  I wonder how effective this would be for MythTV?  Another
>> thing
>> > >> I've considered is "gyroscopic" mice.  Anybody used those with
>> MythTV?
>> > >>
>> > >> Basically, I'm interested in finding out all the options.  Surely
>> there
>> > >> are
>> > >> some very nice non-PVR-150 solutions out there so I'd like to hear
>> what
>> > >> they
>> > >> are.
>> > >>
>> > >> Thanks
>> > >>
>> > >> --
>> > >> Mike
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>
>>
>> I have had great success with the Windows Media Center Remotes. I have
>> four of them. Two are of the older version 2 rev and two are the newer
>> version 2. The newer ones require a patch under Mythbuntu 8.04 to work,
>> but it is fairly easy once that patch is installed. (I have posted
>> complete steps to the Ubuntu forums on how.)
>>
>> In the past I have used an ATI RF remote both with and without LIRC and
>> it had a slower response time than the MCE remotes. I have also used a
>> RF keyboard/mouse combo that worked ok, but the range was limited. The
>> mouse was one of the "gyroscopic" types that could be used in mid air,
>> but I never spent enough time to get really smooth, accurate control
>> with it. The mouse had a rechargeable battery and it did not last very
>> long as compared to the ATI or MCE remotes.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> James
>>
>>
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